Talks Too Much

That Bill sure is a nice guy.

I think I met him once before. Probably a year ago, because the Lutheran church near my house has their big rummage sale at this same time every year.

My youngest son is quite fond of garage sales, rummage sales, yard sales, thrift stores and anywhere else he can get a bargain. He’s a budding little entrepreneur — often thinking ahead to how he can flip an item on eBay, Craig’s List or at his own garage sale. It’s funny to see a 9-year-old meet the gaze of someone 40 years his senior and say, “Can ya do any better?”

Yesterday my wife took him to Day One of the annual sale at the church Bill attends. Among other things, Son No. 3 came home with a set of computer speakers. This brings his stable of computer speakers to around six sets.

A kid can never have enough sound reinforcement.

Turned out one of the speakers was missing its little plastic base. So this morning, I took No. 3 to the sale as soon as it opened at 7 a.m. He wanted to get there and search for the AWOL speaker base before the Electronics Department became overly rummaged.

No luck.

That’s when Bill sidled up and asked in a working-class British accent if we found what we were looking for.

Actually, I can’t say for certain that his accent is “working class.”  But I’m going with it. Partly because he just didn’t strike me as a guy who spent his working life behind a desk.

We explained the situation and showed Bill the speaker stand we brought with us from home, thinking maybe he’d seen its mate. Bill said, “Would you like me to make one for you?”

Really?

“Well I’m quite a carver of wood,” Bill said. “It’s something to keep me busy in retirement. I make all the crosses around here. I could carve a stand to match this one. It’ll be wood instead of plastic. But it will work.”

No. 3 eagerly accepted the offer. At least he was as eager as any 9-year-old will be when forced to speak with a grandfatherly stranger who talks funny. Bill told us to stop by in a couple weeks. He’ll leave the finished piece and the original plastic stand with the church secretary.

I’m not sure how much cross-making is required at a small church. Bill implied that most of the crosses he makes are small ones worn around the neck — not the life-size, behind-the-pulpit type. So something tells me he has a few openings on his shop calendar.

Sure No. 3 looks forward to having (almost) matching speaker stands. But I have a feeling that in the end, Bill gets as much out of this deal as my son.